DIY: Woven Basket Satchel

I’m in love with basket bags. This spring they have been emerging as a must have statement piece. They add a particular lightness and interesting detail to a look that screams spring or summer. Check out the following post from WhoWhatWear if you are still not convinced.

I couldn’t get my hands on one so I decided to go for it and make my own. It wasn’t my easiest DIY project but it was definitely fun to try out something new. I have never woven a basket before and yet it turned out just like I hoped.

So, read on to find out how to create your very own woven basket satchel.

What you’ll need:

a wicker bottom panel (9,5 cm)

50 g wicker shoots in two different strengths (I used 2,0mm and 2,4mm widths)

faux leather (optional)

magnetic clasps

Rehydrate the wicker shoots by placing them in water for about 5 to 10 minutes. In order to be able to weave them, they need to become more pliable.

Start off by creating the bottom of the basket. Go in with the thicker shoots and thread them through the holes in the bottom panel, making them protrude about 5 cms. Braid the shoots by taking one and threading it in front of the next and behind the one after that. Repeat with the other ones until it looks like this:

Take three 2,0 shoots and thread them through three neighbouring spaces.

Similarly as we did on the bottom side, braid the shoots by taking the first shoot and threading it in front of the next two 2,5 shoots and behind the third strong shoot as pictured below. Repeat this process with the other shoots and keep going by adding in a new thin shoot when one ends. Stop when you are satisfied with the height of your basket and make sure to check that you end at the same strong shoot you started weaving at.

When you get to the top, take the strong shoot (the point where you started) and put it behind the next and in front of the one after that.

Repeat for the rest of the strong shoots. When you get to the last one thread it underneath the first 2,4 mm wicker shoot.

When you are done, it will look like this. Now, you can simply cut off the excess length and you are done with the basket.

To make it wearble I took some faux leather and glued it on to the upper rim of the basket using E6000 glue. To make it more stable I also handsewed around the edges and threaded the needle through the woven shoots.

I also chose to make the top out of faux leather. To do so, I used the scope of my basket as a base, that I cut out leaving about 2 cms on the edge. I then cut out two pieces of faux leather to go around he top and a piece for the clasp. To create a sleek look I folded the edges and sewed over it with my sewing machine.

I went on to attach a clasp by adding a magnetic buckle to the insides and embellished the front.

To create the handles on the side I sewed small strips of faux leather together and turned them inside out. After putting them through openings between the shoots I handsewed them and secured them on the insides of the basket.